CARMEL, Calif., Dec. 2, 2005 â?¦ The Santa Lucia Preserve Golf Club, which features a Tom Fazio layout blended into the stunning and foothills above Monterey Bay, has been named one of America’s Best Residential Golf Courses by Golfweek magazine.
The Preserve is No. 11 among the 100 top residential courses that Golfweek named on its annual list. The recognition follows The Preserve making a considerable jump up to No. 51 on the list of America’s Top 100 Modern Courses (post-1960), an advancement of nearly 30 spots.
A private community covering over 31 square miles in the Santa Lucia Mountains, The Preserve is only three miles from the shores of the Monterey Peninsula. Of the 20,000 acres, 90 percent of the property, 18,000 acres, is permanently protected as open space and offers just 300 homesites. The development of homes and club facilities is subordinate to the landscape and fits naturally into the surrounding beauty.
The Fazio course (7,067 yards, par 72) opened in April 2000. Winding through meadows and lined by a variety of oaks, redwoods, cottonwood and sycamore trees, each hole is set among wildlife environment that includes habitat for the golden eagle, red tail hawk, wild turkey, gray fox, mule deer, bobcat, and mountain lion.
The rustic yet richly appointed clubhouse, which opened in 2002, adheres to architectural traditions of the historic Central California region. It frames the finishing view on the 18th hole, and houses the golf shop, the separate men and women’s locker rooms, as well as the social and dining areas. A refurbished hacienda built in 1924 is the focal point for the nearby Ranch Club, which provides lodging and dining for members of The Preserve Golf Club and their guests.
The Preserve also features an equestrian center, fitness center, tennis and croquet courts, swimming pools, 100 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as access to Moore’s Lake, which provides a quiet setting for fishing, swimming and canoeing.
The Preserve also hosts the annual Stocker Cup, one of the leading amateur golf championships in the country. It is a unique team and individual event played each October in memory of Peter Stocker, one of the early visionaries in the creation of the Santa Lucia Preserve.
This is Golfweek’s third annual issue entitled America’s Best Residential Golf Courses – The Definitive Guide to Luxury Golf Course Living 2006. Within this special issue, Golfweek honors America’s Best 100 Residential Golf Courses. Golfweek’s No. 1-rated residential golf course is the Fazio-designed Wade Hampton Club in Cashiers, N.C.
"In recent years, there’s been a decided shift in the golf development market, from free-standing facilities to real estate communities," said Golfweek’s America’s Best Courses program director and architecture editor, Bradley S. Klein. "In recognition of that change, Golfweek is dedicated to honoring courses where golf architects, developers and land planners have successfully established home sites while protecting basic golf values. This list of top-100 residential golf courses is a product of our commitment."
The residential ratings are derived directly from Golfweek’s annual list of America’s Best Courses, published each March since 1997. More than 350 national raters, who judge on the basis of 10 evaluation criteria, rank America’s Best Golf Courses. Rankings are calculated using a statistically rigorous process.
Contact:
Kristen Hunter
Hunter Public Relations
(831) 375-1747
khunter@hunter-pr.com
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